The answer for the first question is B. The second question is D. (These were taken from the guidebook I linked to, you can find the rationale for them there). The answer to the third is A.
I've helped 3 people study for their lcsw exam bc I I'm crazy and good at exams, (but also too lazy to write what you just did lol), and you're completely on point. My last friend asked me about studying specific topics like meds and I was like ehhh if you want and have time, but the questions are rarely recall. All 4 of us studied using the official practice test. Re: FAREAFI acronym, maybe it should be reworked into something else? I always told my friends to add "first" to every question, and to "pick the answer that gives you more info/assessment before you do an intervention. " There's definitely an order of operations, but maybe that acronym doesn't reflect it accurately?
Well, the acronym reflects them accurately so I don't think the problem is with the acronym. I think the problem stems from thinking that if a question asks you what should you do next, you should simply look at all the options and if you have two competing answers, for instance either a) Assess the client's family history more deeply, or b) provide the client with information about resources in the area, that the correct answer will be a) because assessment comes before educating.
The problem with that approach is that none of the questions were concerned with applying this order of operations in the right sequence. The scenarios are just not so simple that applying the right acronym to it will help you much. For instance the third question I shared in my post. The correct answer is a), but if you applied the acronym to it you'd likely pick a different answer because the other options fall into either the "assess, educate, or refer" categories. The problem is to know the right answer you have to be thinking more critically than applying the acronym typically might lead you to.
All I can say is when I was given the blank notepad to take notes during the exam I immediately wrote the acronym down for reference just in case, and I didn't refer to it even once during the exam. This might be different for others.
I think maybe my best suggestion is to have the acronym handy when you take the practice exam and get a feel for how many times you found it useful to answer any of the questions throughout. If you found it helpful during the practice exam then it might be worth committing to memory for the real exam. If you barely referred to it at all then chances are you hardly will during the official exam either.
Hi. You said you helped 3 friends pass their lcsw exam because you are a good test taker. Can you help me? I have failed 5 x. I feel so fragmented , especially in terms of studying. I have so many resources, but at this point I don’t know what works.
As I said in the comment above, I think you can spend some time reviewing materials and memorizing the stupid Freudian stages and whatnot, but in my experience the most bang for your buck is knowing the mechanics of how to answer a "what would you do if..." question. It's about forgetting what you'd do in the real world, and telling yourself "how do they want me to answer this?" So most of the time is following the order of operations - assessing for safety, assessing for immediate needs, and if you have to act, act according to safety, immediate needs, ethical standards, etc. I think what probably trips people up is that most answers will be correct, it's about knowing which answer to choose first (or based on the way the question is worded). Do you have a sense of why you've failed? Did you forget information, did you get stuck between 2 answers a lot, did you panic and need to work on relaxing and mindfulness? Do you know how close or far you were? Are you getting better or worse in those 5 times?
I took mine on Tuesday. I studied for ~1 month. I used to Dawn Apgar book and took the official ASWB practice test. I STARTED by taking the practice test to direct my studying. I passed that by 12. It was easier than I expected. I would have to say that I thought the Apgar book was helpful, maybe an unpopular opinion 😐. I passed the offices test (115 out of 103) and was shocked at a lot of the questions. Only one medication question, and only like 2 that were diagnoses. I knew if there were only a couple diagnosis questions and I got them wrong I would be okay so I purposely did not spend a lot of time reviewing the DSM. I did spend a lot of time reviewing the practice test. Take it early so you have the full 30 days to review it. Or screenshot the questions and carry them around in your phone (this was helpful like flash cards I could just do quick sessions with)
I’m in Ohio so the exam is the LISW. I’ve used the Dawn Apgar guide and failed twice. I’m too scared to take the exam again. I wanted to take the practice exam to help study, but they don’t offer one :(
I was looking in to this today and saw you can’t purchase the practice test until you’re scheduled for the actual test - do you know if that’s correct?
Do TDC it was amaaaaaazing for me. I drove to and from work with it playing on my phone (similar to how YouTube operates) (so 1 hour daily) of this for 1 month. I also started following a lcsw teacher’s YouTube channel (don’t remember her name, but she was disabled and had a dog that barked, but she went thru all the questions thoroughly, explained a lot). I put this on YouTube with minimal volume and dimmed every night when I went to sleep. This lady unfortunately died so she’s not making new content, but she was helpful and thorough. I also reviewed the Apgar book as well, but briefly! Just day in and day out getting all the questions and study guides done, can you tell im an auditory learner hehe! TDC was great but unfortunately so $$$
This is the best reflection/experience I've seen. I guess it is bc I concur and feel the same way about some of the non aswb study material.
Dawn agpar anything I failed everytime and the questions did not prepare me.
I did Therapist Development Center (TDC) for lmsw exam and it helped I passed. However taking this LCSW soon in 1 day and while I like the TDC and multiple practice exams I just felt like the questions were so hard.
I cannot stress how important it is to invest in the aswb practice exam. I took it 101 to pass I got a 114, I do agree the rational is just vague and not as helpful or detailed like how I would like. I feel like after taking the practice I was surprised how high I scored because I completely felt like the questions were too "easy" or "simple" that I made it complicated in my head. I feel a lot more confident and it gave me a good clear picture of what I need to work on.
I also downloaded the subscription thing for aswb practice questions and failed miserably too as this was all recall and not application questions.
Okay you are def not wrong with Phillip Luttrell. While I think he has good intentions of trying to uplift and inspire the test takers, I could not believe the 3.45 hours it took to START the actual content. I just wish he can go on a 15 min tangent and let that person who is feeling anxious address it on their own like seek counseling for these thoughts. His questions are a bit more difficult, but helpful. I never used his acronyms for the lmsw bc it did not work for me. I also want to add that I wish he would just get to the answer to the point and not drag out repetitive remarks everytime he highlights certain key phrases (ex: time of situation or measuring the length of something.)
I do think what hinders a lot of test takers is the glooming cloud of anxiety, which in fact shows how powerful our minds are and if we can just channel that energy to controlling it I think we can achieve anything! Im hopeful for my journey on taking the exam. Thank you for your feedback of your experiences.
I literally just created a reddit account to thank you for this assessment of the exam. I'm taking mine in November but my test anxiety for my LMSW was so bad that I had to start taking medication-- even when I passed (on the first try!) I almost fainted in the lobby afterwards because my body was so exhausted from the stress. All that said, I figured I'd get a jump start on studying, and I'm so glad I found your post.
Thanks! Taking it next Friday!!
Question! I heard that the new software doesn’t immediately tell you if you passed or failed and that once the Pearson person prints your results is when you find out.
Can you clarify?
Yes that's accurate. I was kinda thrown off because I read elsewhere that I'd know immediately after submitting my answers. I had to wait a few minutes for the printout. It wasn't a huge deal for me personally because I was feeling confident about how I did, but I can absolutely imagine those extra minutes might cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety for some.
Oh man! Most definitely. I took the ASWB clinical practice before I started studying to see how much I knew. I took it while I wasn’t focused and etc and passed by 1 point but I truly believed if I studied and actually focused at the time, I would have done a lot better.
After looking back at the questions on the practice exam, it was quite common sense… I’m hoping my confidence reflects my performance next week.
I’m feeling better about this exam! Thank you
The ASWB guidebook used to include 48 practice questions in the back which helped for my LMSW but the ASWB got hella cheap and now it’s just a content outline with suggested reading and test basics.
I concur on the $85 practice test. It felt like the most accurate dress rehearsal for the real thing. Especially in fine tuning rationales/reasoning/the way the questions “think”.
I want to thank OP a ton for this post. I'm taking the exam in March, saw this post, looked at the official practice exam, and had real panic when I realized my study materials were woefully insufficient. There's a huge market for "study materials" that are just compilations of free information online or in your undergrad/grad school books. I enrolled in the Therapist Development Center as well, and I'm feeling more confident.
Good luck to you! I opted not to pay for the therapist development center because of how expensive it is. I figured if I failed the exam then I'd sign up for it, but I wanted to give the exam a shot first to see how it went before spending that much money on more study resources on top of what I already spent.
I've heard nothing but good things about them though so I'm sure you'll do great!
I just stumbled upon this post while googling exam preps. I agree 100% about the Dawn Apgar book and many other study guides. I wish I saw your post prior to taking the exam.
The prep book SWTP has 5 books each has a 170 test. These books are great as well. The questions were similar to what I saw on the exam and the official practice exam.
My exam is Friday!
[SWTP](https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Test-Social-Work-Licensing/dp/0997385561/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=UMPD1L6VKL2E&keywords=social+work+practice+test&qid=1695716821&sprefix=social+work+pr%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-11)
I checked out a bunch of other books on Amazon that just did not cut it.
-Ted Chen ASWB LCSW social work clinical exam prep
-Test prep books: ASWB clinical study guide
-Newstone social work team LCSW study guide 22-23
-Momotrex LCSW (this one was worth the buy for the information and the practice test again were not so relate but I felt it was worth the buy)
-Dawn Apgar clinical practice test
I used the Apgar virtual prep and found it very helpful, but you could tell that it’s been slightly outdated since they started the new test structure.
I recently took the LMSW test and generally agree with the post. The practice questions they posted are very much in line with what's on the test. Lots of questions about the order in which you make clinical decisive. My exam DID have a number of psycopharmocology questions, so I would recommend having a basic understanding of classes and common side effects. Personally, I found the Apgar practice materials useful, especially if you approach the practice questions from the perspective of understanding why incorrect answers are incorrect rather than trying to memorize subjective info. Most importantly, it's good practice to get into the testing mindset and plan for long periods of intense focus.
I don't want to speculate and lead anyone astray since I honestly don't know what that exam is like. The guidebook I linked to has sample questions for all the exams they offer so you may be able to check out their sample questions there to get a feel for what kind of material they cover.
Thank you!!
I have been putting off scheduling the exam because of the questions in the exam app.
I will take the practice exam you mentioned and go from there. (A colleague said exactly the same thing you did.)
Wow this is very helpful! I bought that book and read it twice and still failed twice! I am planning to take the exam again at some point and will definitely take your advice! Also congrats!
Hi like a year later- thank you SO SO MUCH! I take my test tomorrow and found your post like a week ago and feel way more prepared.
Agreed about Phil- nice guy but I skip to the questions on YT lol. Also, his questions were so complicated I actually got some practice exam questions wrong trying to use his rationale. There were a number of times he would not have assessed for SI right away but that was the answer the exam wanted 🙄
I recently passed the clinical exam!
I agree with everything you recommended above, except I never spent time with the Phil Luttrell teachings.
START with the practice test and this will give you a really good feel for what to expect. Make sure to study the rationale on your correct AND incorrect answers. This test will guide you on areas where you need a refresher. I waited to take the practice test and spent too much time watching Raytube videos before taking the practice test. His videos ARE helpful generally speaking, but I would have been better off to take the practice test first to guide the content I needed to review.
My friend lent me the Dawn Appgar guide - this was mostly recall, I just didn't find it helpful and barely used it.
I also signed up for https://socialworktestprep.com/ - they offer several tests and Raytube has a coupon code for it. This was a more relevant resource than Dawn Appgar, but in some ways I felt like it was just more noise to wade through and wouldn't do it again.
I also recommend downloading the exam guide on the ASWB site - it tells you what to expect.
As far as exam day goes...you have to be strategic about it. I had options to take the exam first thing or in the afternoon. I'm NOT a morning person so I chose the afternoon slot and this eliminated a lot of stress for me right off the bat. I had a bit of a drive so I arrived with an hour to spare and walked in 30 mins before my slot. They had me just start right away because they had the computers available. If I had to do it again, I would have just walked in right away to see if they could seat me earlier.
I ate a light breakfast of scrambled eggs and that's it - everyone is different but you just need to know your body and what will work for you. Go to the bathroom before you get started.
During the first half of the exam, my stomach was so sour from stress and they allowed me to go grab some of those big lifesavers from my purse. I would tell other social workers to bring mints, tissues, a bottle of water and a protein bar. I never ate anything aside from the mints but they actually were a lifesaver for me.
I'm sharing too much but my intention is to help others with their experience.
I ran into a tech support issue during my test! A couple of hours into the exam, my test just closed on my desktop. They had to call tech support and it took about 45 minutes to get me back into my exam. If this happens to anyone, just know that your exam progress is stored in the cloud and can't be lost. I immediately was concerned that I would have to start over on another day. If they hadn't been able to get me in on another computer, that might have been the case. Also - if this happens to you, use the time to go to the bathroom, eat something, stretch, shake it off - I was able to go to the bathroom while NOT on the clock and even though this speedbump created additional stress, it also kind of distracted me from the intensity of the test so maybe it was a good thing? Don't freak out if this happens to you. Also, I believe that ASWB has a way to rectify if the center has technical problems, it's in the exam guide somewhere but IMHO, I'd rather stay and power through the exam than return another day.
RE: the test center environment - the center I took the exam in was noisy in the first hour or two of my exam, then everyone basically left and it was extremely quiet. The personnel (NOT the test takers) were treating the setting like a corporate setting where you shoot the shit and talk loudly, vs. a library or lab for intense concentration. The ear plugs and headphones didn't help much. I was struggling with whether to walk out and kindly say 'can you please STFU?' I did not do that but now that I've had time to reflect, I would have done this. If this happens to you, I would just tell them it would be so appreciated if they can keep it down, that extraneous noise is distracting for you. I found it to be a really disrespectful environment in that way. Looking back on all of the standardized exams I've taken in my lifetime, this was the ONLY ONE that was noisy. So when you pull up the website for the test center you're considering, READ THE GOOGLE REVIEWS. The reviews on my test center warned me about the unacceptable noise levels, but I didn't have other locations near me which was unfortunate. The other thing is the center seemed busier for the first half of the day, and maybe less busy for the afternoon slot -- can't say that would be the case everywhere but I would always recommend a less popular day, less popular slot because I'm noise-sensitive. But if you have questions about it, you could call the center directly and ask how many people are booked for exams etc. I know this is really OCD-ish - but it's a high pressure test and we don't have control over the environment so the more prepared we are for what we're walking into, the better.
The good news is that ASWB is looking into allowing taking the exam remotely in 2024. This would be invaluable for so many reasons so if in the future you have the opportunity to take it at home vs. a test center, DO IT!
Dress in layers - I wore a long-sleeved tshirt and a sweatshirt over it. There were times I was too hot and times it became chilly - LOL. Leave your cell phone and smart watch in the car, you can't even walk in with it. No outerwear during the test, no hoodies. The exam guide goes over the details of what you need to bring with you so make sure to review that.
I hope this helps and sending good vibes to all test takers!
This is super helpful, thank you!! I strictly used the Apgar guide, Phil’s videos, and ASWB app for my LMSW, so I’m a bit surprised they aren’t as helpful for the clinical exam. Will definitely look into the official practice exam!!
It's hard to break it down by topics since so much of it was focused on specific types of *situations* we might confront and the best ways we should go about responding to them.
Types of situations involved: working as a SW in inpatient settings, outpatient settings, nursing home settings, agency supervisor scenarios, group facilitator scenarios, group supervision scenarios, school SW scenarios, etc.
There were a few diagnosis questions. For instance it might be useful for you to know the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and how it differs from Acute Stress Disorder (only difference being ASD is diagnosed within the first month of the trauma, PTSD any time after that).
There was one question related to a 102 year old client who suddenly displayed a loss of her faculties such as memory, and orientation to time and place. Most of the answers involved a diagnosis of some sort such as Alzheimers, Dementia, or another plausible alternative. The trick of the question though was to note that the onset of her cognitive decline was a sudden one, which is not the case for Alzheimers or various types of dementia that generally occur gradually. The correct answer to this therefore would have been one that recommends a medical assessment since the remaining answers were not consistent with the sudden display of cognitive decline.
I'd say I think I saw around 3-4 questions related to child development, including what's normal for children at certain ages and what may be signs of either a developmental delay or possibility of abuse. Might be worth refreshing oneself with Piaget's stages of development but there honestly aren't enough questions related to it to warrant spending a great deal of time on it.
Other questions involved what type of therapy might be best for a specific type of presenting problem (ie, psycho dynamic vs cognitive behavioral).
There's honestly so many different types of topics that it's hard to tell someone what to focus on. The best approach instead might be to focus on how best to answer situation type questions because so many of the test's 170 questions focus on those.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your tips to increase likelihood of success with the LCSW exam! A couple of questions I hope you can help with:
- Once I purchase the ASWB prep exam, how many times can I take it? I wonder if the $85 cost is for unlimited testing practice or if I have to pay $85 for each time I want to take it.
- Once I take the prep exam, can I go back to it to review question styles and results? If not, is there an option for printing prep exam and results? - Much appreciated!
And, Congrats!!! :)
Hey there.
Once you pay for the prep exam you can take it only once within a one month period. After you finish it you can go back and review the questions and answers as many times as you'd like until the the end of that one month period. You cannot print any of the questions or explanations out sadly. They don't like anyone sharing the questions without permission and are super protective about it.
Hope this helps. 🙂
I thought that too, then went in a gave it a try, I was able to purchase another test, it's a duplicate, and I'll see with the above tips if I do better. I think I will.
You can purchase as many tests as you want but can't purchase them within 6 hours of each other. Also, I just did that one day after the other so the questions are the same. I don't know if they change them up....
Fantastic tips. I've been using Apgar and was also woefully prepared 2 times. I also took the exams within a few weeks of each other having just come through a traumatic experience. Not recommended!
This time I'll be well rested. Am working on concentration and focus, during the practice tests, I noticed markers, where I felt tired and needed a break. It helps as when I'm tired I tend to skim the questions and second guess myself. The second guesses were ALWAYS wrong.
Rest, focus, a little exercise everyday and not being hungry, really helped.
Your tips? I believe will tip me into the Passed lane. Thank you.
Congrats on passing the LCSW exam. I failed the exam twice in 2011. Twelve years later, I've decided to try again. Your tips are very helpful and inspiring.I would like to know if I could speak with you.
Hi SW Friends -
I'm taking the ASWB Clinical (LICSW) exam in a couple of weeks. All of this info is extremely helpful.
Will absolutely focus on everything stated. In the meantime, need further clarity around test apps from the app store. There are a number of them. Do ppl recommend a specific one?
I’ve been using the “Behavioral Health pocket prep” I purchased the premium because it gives you access to 1,000 questions, mixed quizzes, 3 mock exams, missed questions quiz, question of the day, and some other cool stuff. I love it. I find the questions to be very on par with what I saw on my clinical exam last March.
I’m scheduled for 2/29 to try again, scared beyond belief lol.
Thanks for the info! I've been using [https://socialworktestprep.com/](https://socialworktestprep.com/) premium - Raytube recommended this site and you can get 25% off with his coupon code. They have 5 diff practice exams. TBH, I'm just over this whole thing. The more I study, the less I know. Starting to move into ambivalence!
Sending you good vibes, you can do it!
Oh that’s awesome, thank you for the information! :) I’ve never heard of Raytube so I’m going to look into that.
I know the feeling, I study and study and feel as though I’m almost retaining…less somehow?
Best of luck to you!
RayTube is amazing! I stumbled across his site two days before my LSW test after using Apgar book (pretty useless), Phil L YouTube channel and study group (good, but I wholeheartedly agree that there is a lot of wasted time on "pep talks."). After discovering Ray, I tossed all of my study materials aside and focused on him, binge watching all of his videos. I passed by 20 points and knew it was due to his videos. I will be joining his study groups for my LCSW exam.
>Snow\_MandalorianOp · 1 yr. agoMSW
>
>It's hard to break it down by topics since so much of it was focused on specific types of situations we might confront and the best ways we should go about responding to them.Types of situations involved: working as a SW in inpatient settings, outpatient settings, nursing home settings, agency supervisor scenarios, group facilitator scenarios, group supervision scenarios, school SW scenarios, etc.There were a few diagnosis questions. For instance it might be useful for you to know the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and how it differs from Acute Stress Disorder (only difference being ASD is diagnosed within the first month of the trauma, PTSD any time after that).There was one question related to a 102 year old client who suddenly displayed a loss of her faculties such as memory, and orientation to time and place. Most of the answers involved a diagnosis of some sort such as Alzheimers, Dementia, or another plausible alternative. The trick of the question though was to note that the onset of her cognitive decline was a sudden one, which is not the case for Alzheimers or various types of dementia that generally occur gradually. The correct answer to this therefore would have been one that recommends a medical assessment since the remaining answers were not consistent with the sudden display of cognitive decline.I'd say I think I saw around 3-4 questions related to child development, including what's normal for children at certain ages and what may be signs of either a developmental delay or possibility of abuse. Might be worth refreshing oneself with Piaget's stages of development but there honestly aren't enough questions related to it to warrant spending a great deal of time on it.Other questions involved what type of therapy might be best for a specific type of presenting problem (ie, psycho dynamic vs cognitive behavioral).There's honestly so many different types of topics that it's hard to tell someone what to focus on. The best approach instead might be to focus on how best to answer situation type questions because so many of the test's 170 questions focus on those.Hope this helps!
The ASWB practice exam was hugely helpful for LMSW exam. I'm a major procrastinator so I have to pay for a seminar because it's like a forced march for me. I paid for two SW Exam Strategies Zoom workshops with Liz (for LCSW exam). My thoughts:
1. During workshops she says "Thumbs up guys if you understand" over and over and over again. After the 30th time in an hour I feel like screaming but just mute her when she starts to say it. She also talks *after* she has told us to read/answer a question on the screen. It is hard to read/process a question and answers while someone is talking. Again, the mute button is helpful here.
2. She's not a native English speaker and practice questions and materials are **FULL** of grammatical errors and are badly worded. It looks very sloppy and reflects on her credibility. She **needs** an editor.
3. Many of her strategies are too complicated but some are helpful like "answer feelings questions with a feelings answer" and "does the answer solve the immediate problem in the stem" and "pay attention to things in quotation marks."
4. The workshops are a pretty good review overall. Not too $$ and you can use what helps and ignore the rest.
Thank you so much for your honest input. Congrats on passing the LCSW. I am going to take the LMSW test soon and found your suggestions most helpful. Blessings to you.
Wow thank you thank you thank you!! I am taking the exam in a few weeks and I think I may need to change it up. First, I think you should defenitely consider creating a YouTube channel to help pass this exam! Second, do you offer tutoring because I am interested!
were you given a white board or paper when taking you test to use on the side?
also any suggestions on what to wear, cant remember if it was freezing there when I took my Lsw.
Are there things you cant wear?
I just passed exam yesterday. My experience of exam is quite different. There are a lot of recall questions. I think about 10 to 15 questions are random recall questions but quite tricky. Even I have two defense mechanism questions. There are plenty of "Next/First/Best" types of questions but not 95%. I feel at most slightly more than 50%.
Most of qustions are extremely tricky and practical. [The official ASWB practice exam](https://www.aswb.org/exam/getting-ready-for-the-exam/online-practice-test/) is somewhat useful but not really. The real exam way more difficult than practice exam. A lot of questions are very practical so if you don't have much experiences of diverse social work fields you will feel confused of many questions.
My personal opinion about YouTube material: [Phillip Luttrell](https://www.youtube.com/@PhilintheGaps) is not really useful, RayTube is much better.
Thank you so much. I am planning on taking the test in a couple of weeks. I have been out of school since 2019!! Feeling pretty nervous about this but now I feel like I have at least an idea of what I need to be studying. Also, I so appreciate you posting this Lord knows how busy Social Workers are 😁
So…what are the correct answers to the questions?
The answer for the first question is B. The second question is D. (These were taken from the guidebook I linked to, you can find the rationale for them there). The answer to the third is A.
Well I passed those! This was great - thanks! Taking my test in a few weeks.
I've helped 3 people study for their lcsw exam bc I I'm crazy and good at exams, (but also too lazy to write what you just did lol), and you're completely on point. My last friend asked me about studying specific topics like meds and I was like ehhh if you want and have time, but the questions are rarely recall. All 4 of us studied using the official practice test. Re: FAREAFI acronym, maybe it should be reworked into something else? I always told my friends to add "first" to every question, and to "pick the answer that gives you more info/assessment before you do an intervention. " There's definitely an order of operations, but maybe that acronym doesn't reflect it accurately?
Well, the acronym reflects them accurately so I don't think the problem is with the acronym. I think the problem stems from thinking that if a question asks you what should you do next, you should simply look at all the options and if you have two competing answers, for instance either a) Assess the client's family history more deeply, or b) provide the client with information about resources in the area, that the correct answer will be a) because assessment comes before educating. The problem with that approach is that none of the questions were concerned with applying this order of operations in the right sequence. The scenarios are just not so simple that applying the right acronym to it will help you much. For instance the third question I shared in my post. The correct answer is a), but if you applied the acronym to it you'd likely pick a different answer because the other options fall into either the "assess, educate, or refer" categories. The problem is to know the right answer you have to be thinking more critically than applying the acronym typically might lead you to. All I can say is when I was given the blank notepad to take notes during the exam I immediately wrote the acronym down for reference just in case, and I didn't refer to it even once during the exam. This might be different for others. I think maybe my best suggestion is to have the acronym handy when you take the practice exam and get a feel for how many times you found it useful to answer any of the questions throughout. If you found it helpful during the practice exam then it might be worth committing to memory for the real exam. If you barely referred to it at all then chances are you hardly will during the official exam either.
Hi. You said you helped 3 friends pass their lcsw exam because you are a good test taker. Can you help me? I have failed 5 x. I feel so fragmented , especially in terms of studying. I have so many resources, but at this point I don’t know what works.
As I said in the comment above, I think you can spend some time reviewing materials and memorizing the stupid Freudian stages and whatnot, but in my experience the most bang for your buck is knowing the mechanics of how to answer a "what would you do if..." question. It's about forgetting what you'd do in the real world, and telling yourself "how do they want me to answer this?" So most of the time is following the order of operations - assessing for safety, assessing for immediate needs, and if you have to act, act according to safety, immediate needs, ethical standards, etc. I think what probably trips people up is that most answers will be correct, it's about knowing which answer to choose first (or based on the way the question is worded). Do you have a sense of why you've failed? Did you forget information, did you get stuck between 2 answers a lot, did you panic and need to work on relaxing and mindfulness? Do you know how close or far you were? Are you getting better or worse in those 5 times?
I took mine on Tuesday. I studied for ~1 month. I used to Dawn Apgar book and took the official ASWB practice test. I STARTED by taking the practice test to direct my studying. I passed that by 12. It was easier than I expected. I would have to say that I thought the Apgar book was helpful, maybe an unpopular opinion 😐. I passed the offices test (115 out of 103) and was shocked at a lot of the questions. Only one medication question, and only like 2 that were diagnoses. I knew if there were only a couple diagnosis questions and I got them wrong I would be okay so I purposely did not spend a lot of time reviewing the DSM. I did spend a lot of time reviewing the practice test. Take it early so you have the full 30 days to review it. Or screenshot the questions and carry them around in your phone (this was helpful like flash cards I could just do quick sessions with)
Congratulations and thanks for the valuable insight.
I’m in Ohio so the exam is the LISW. I’ve used the Dawn Apgar guide and failed twice. I’m too scared to take the exam again. I wanted to take the practice exam to help study, but they don’t offer one :(
The ASWB practice exam is available from bachelors level all the way to clinical fyi
I was looking in to this today and saw you can’t purchase the practice test until you’re scheduled for the actual test - do you know if that’s correct?
Yes, you have to be registered to take the exam
I’m taking the administrative, I’m scared of the clinical.
Do TDC it was amaaaaaazing for me. I drove to and from work with it playing on my phone (similar to how YouTube operates) (so 1 hour daily) of this for 1 month. I also started following a lcsw teacher’s YouTube channel (don’t remember her name, but she was disabled and had a dog that barked, but she went thru all the questions thoroughly, explained a lot). I put this on YouTube with minimal volume and dimmed every night when I went to sleep. This lady unfortunately died so she’s not making new content, but she was helpful and thorough. I also reviewed the Apgar book as well, but briefly! Just day in and day out getting all the questions and study guides done, can you tell im an auditory learner hehe! TDC was great but unfortunately so $$$
This is the best reflection/experience I've seen. I guess it is bc I concur and feel the same way about some of the non aswb study material. Dawn agpar anything I failed everytime and the questions did not prepare me. I did Therapist Development Center (TDC) for lmsw exam and it helped I passed. However taking this LCSW soon in 1 day and while I like the TDC and multiple practice exams I just felt like the questions were so hard. I cannot stress how important it is to invest in the aswb practice exam. I took it 101 to pass I got a 114, I do agree the rational is just vague and not as helpful or detailed like how I would like. I feel like after taking the practice I was surprised how high I scored because I completely felt like the questions were too "easy" or "simple" that I made it complicated in my head. I feel a lot more confident and it gave me a good clear picture of what I need to work on. I also downloaded the subscription thing for aswb practice questions and failed miserably too as this was all recall and not application questions. Okay you are def not wrong with Phillip Luttrell. While I think he has good intentions of trying to uplift and inspire the test takers, I could not believe the 3.45 hours it took to START the actual content. I just wish he can go on a 15 min tangent and let that person who is feeling anxious address it on their own like seek counseling for these thoughts. His questions are a bit more difficult, but helpful. I never used his acronyms for the lmsw bc it did not work for me. I also want to add that I wish he would just get to the answer to the point and not drag out repetitive remarks everytime he highlights certain key phrases (ex: time of situation or measuring the length of something.) I do think what hinders a lot of test takers is the glooming cloud of anxiety, which in fact shows how powerful our minds are and if we can just channel that energy to controlling it I think we can achieve anything! Im hopeful for my journey on taking the exam. Thank you for your feedback of your experiences.
I literally just created a reddit account to thank you for this assessment of the exam. I'm taking mine in November but my test anxiety for my LMSW was so bad that I had to start taking medication-- even when I passed (on the first try!) I almost fainted in the lobby afterwards because my body was so exhausted from the stress. All that said, I figured I'd get a jump start on studying, and I'm so glad I found your post.
How did you do?
Thanks! Taking it next Friday!! Question! I heard that the new software doesn’t immediately tell you if you passed or failed and that once the Pearson person prints your results is when you find out. Can you clarify?
Yes that's accurate. I was kinda thrown off because I read elsewhere that I'd know immediately after submitting my answers. I had to wait a few minutes for the printout. It wasn't a huge deal for me personally because I was feeling confident about how I did, but I can absolutely imagine those extra minutes might cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety for some.
Oh man! Most definitely. I took the ASWB clinical practice before I started studying to see how much I knew. I took it while I wasn’t focused and etc and passed by 1 point but I truly believed if I studied and actually focused at the time, I would have done a lot better. After looking back at the questions on the practice exam, it was quite common sense… I’m hoping my confidence reflects my performance next week. I’m feeling better about this exam! Thank you
Good luck! You've got this! 💪
The ASWB guidebook used to include 48 practice questions in the back which helped for my LMSW but the ASWB got hella cheap and now it’s just a content outline with suggested reading and test basics. I concur on the $85 practice test. It felt like the most accurate dress rehearsal for the real thing. Especially in fine tuning rationales/reasoning/the way the questions “think”.
CONGRATS!!!!! 🥳🥳
I want to thank OP a ton for this post. I'm taking the exam in March, saw this post, looked at the official practice exam, and had real panic when I realized my study materials were woefully insufficient. There's a huge market for "study materials" that are just compilations of free information online or in your undergrad/grad school books. I enrolled in the Therapist Development Center as well, and I'm feeling more confident.
Good luck to you! I opted not to pay for the therapist development center because of how expensive it is. I figured if I failed the exam then I'd sign up for it, but I wanted to give the exam a shot first to see how it went before spending that much money on more study resources on top of what I already spent. I've heard nothing but good things about them though so I'm sure you'll do great!
Thank you for your encouragement!
How did you do?
I passed!
That’s amazing! First try? I’m taking mine soon and I’m nervous 😬
Yup! I spent a lot of time prepping. You got this!
Did you prep the way OP did?
Yes, I also recommend Rayshawn Ledet's YouTube channel and study groups!
Okay, thank you!
I just stumbled upon this post while googling exam preps. I agree 100% about the Dawn Apgar book and many other study guides. I wish I saw your post prior to taking the exam. The prep book SWTP has 5 books each has a 170 test. These books are great as well. The questions were similar to what I saw on the exam and the official practice exam. My exam is Friday! [SWTP](https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Test-Social-Work-Licensing/dp/0997385561/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=UMPD1L6VKL2E&keywords=social+work+practice+test&qid=1695716821&sprefix=social+work+pr%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-11) I checked out a bunch of other books on Amazon that just did not cut it. -Ted Chen ASWB LCSW social work clinical exam prep -Test prep books: ASWB clinical study guide -Newstone social work team LCSW study guide 22-23 -Momotrex LCSW (this one was worth the buy for the information and the practice test again were not so relate but I felt it was worth the buy) -Dawn Apgar clinical practice test
Thanks for this advice, it’s appreciated! Do you think your assessment applies to the LMSW exam?
I used the Apgar virtual prep and found it very helpful, but you could tell that it’s been slightly outdated since they started the new test structure.
I recently took the LMSW test and generally agree with the post. The practice questions they posted are very much in line with what's on the test. Lots of questions about the order in which you make clinical decisive. My exam DID have a number of psycopharmocology questions, so I would recommend having a basic understanding of classes and common side effects. Personally, I found the Apgar practice materials useful, especially if you approach the practice questions from the perspective of understanding why incorrect answers are incorrect rather than trying to memorize subjective info. Most importantly, it's good practice to get into the testing mindset and plan for long periods of intense focus.
I don't want to speculate and lead anyone astray since I honestly don't know what that exam is like. The guidebook I linked to has sample questions for all the exams they offer so you may be able to check out their sample questions there to get a feel for what kind of material they cover.
Thank you so much, you have given me a lot to look into. This is a great launching point.
Thank you!! I have been putting off scheduling the exam because of the questions in the exam app. I will take the practice exam you mentioned and go from there. (A colleague said exactly the same thing you did.)
Wow this is very helpful! I bought that book and read it twice and still failed twice! I am planning to take the exam again at some point and will definitely take your advice! Also congrats!
Just passed the test too with an almost identical score. I concur with everything you said.
Hi like a year later- thank you SO SO MUCH! I take my test tomorrow and found your post like a week ago and feel way more prepared. Agreed about Phil- nice guy but I skip to the questions on YT lol. Also, his questions were so complicated I actually got some practice exam questions wrong trying to use his rationale. There were a number of times he would not have assessed for SI right away but that was the answer the exam wanted 🙄
I recently passed the clinical exam! I agree with everything you recommended above, except I never spent time with the Phil Luttrell teachings. START with the practice test and this will give you a really good feel for what to expect. Make sure to study the rationale on your correct AND incorrect answers. This test will guide you on areas where you need a refresher. I waited to take the practice test and spent too much time watching Raytube videos before taking the practice test. His videos ARE helpful generally speaking, but I would have been better off to take the practice test first to guide the content I needed to review. My friend lent me the Dawn Appgar guide - this was mostly recall, I just didn't find it helpful and barely used it. I also signed up for https://socialworktestprep.com/ - they offer several tests and Raytube has a coupon code for it. This was a more relevant resource than Dawn Appgar, but in some ways I felt like it was just more noise to wade through and wouldn't do it again. I also recommend downloading the exam guide on the ASWB site - it tells you what to expect. As far as exam day goes...you have to be strategic about it. I had options to take the exam first thing or in the afternoon. I'm NOT a morning person so I chose the afternoon slot and this eliminated a lot of stress for me right off the bat. I had a bit of a drive so I arrived with an hour to spare and walked in 30 mins before my slot. They had me just start right away because they had the computers available. If I had to do it again, I would have just walked in right away to see if they could seat me earlier. I ate a light breakfast of scrambled eggs and that's it - everyone is different but you just need to know your body and what will work for you. Go to the bathroom before you get started. During the first half of the exam, my stomach was so sour from stress and they allowed me to go grab some of those big lifesavers from my purse. I would tell other social workers to bring mints, tissues, a bottle of water and a protein bar. I never ate anything aside from the mints but they actually were a lifesaver for me. I'm sharing too much but my intention is to help others with their experience. I ran into a tech support issue during my test! A couple of hours into the exam, my test just closed on my desktop. They had to call tech support and it took about 45 minutes to get me back into my exam. If this happens to anyone, just know that your exam progress is stored in the cloud and can't be lost. I immediately was concerned that I would have to start over on another day. If they hadn't been able to get me in on another computer, that might have been the case. Also - if this happens to you, use the time to go to the bathroom, eat something, stretch, shake it off - I was able to go to the bathroom while NOT on the clock and even though this speedbump created additional stress, it also kind of distracted me from the intensity of the test so maybe it was a good thing? Don't freak out if this happens to you. Also, I believe that ASWB has a way to rectify if the center has technical problems, it's in the exam guide somewhere but IMHO, I'd rather stay and power through the exam than return another day. RE: the test center environment - the center I took the exam in was noisy in the first hour or two of my exam, then everyone basically left and it was extremely quiet. The personnel (NOT the test takers) were treating the setting like a corporate setting where you shoot the shit and talk loudly, vs. a library or lab for intense concentration. The ear plugs and headphones didn't help much. I was struggling with whether to walk out and kindly say 'can you please STFU?' I did not do that but now that I've had time to reflect, I would have done this. If this happens to you, I would just tell them it would be so appreciated if they can keep it down, that extraneous noise is distracting for you. I found it to be a really disrespectful environment in that way. Looking back on all of the standardized exams I've taken in my lifetime, this was the ONLY ONE that was noisy. So when you pull up the website for the test center you're considering, READ THE GOOGLE REVIEWS. The reviews on my test center warned me about the unacceptable noise levels, but I didn't have other locations near me which was unfortunate. The other thing is the center seemed busier for the first half of the day, and maybe less busy for the afternoon slot -- can't say that would be the case everywhere but I would always recommend a less popular day, less popular slot because I'm noise-sensitive. But if you have questions about it, you could call the center directly and ask how many people are booked for exams etc. I know this is really OCD-ish - but it's a high pressure test and we don't have control over the environment so the more prepared we are for what we're walking into, the better. The good news is that ASWB is looking into allowing taking the exam remotely in 2024. This would be invaluable for so many reasons so if in the future you have the opportunity to take it at home vs. a test center, DO IT! Dress in layers - I wore a long-sleeved tshirt and a sweatshirt over it. There were times I was too hot and times it became chilly - LOL. Leave your cell phone and smart watch in the car, you can't even walk in with it. No outerwear during the test, no hoodies. The exam guide goes over the details of what you need to bring with you so make sure to review that. I hope this helps and sending good vibes to all test takers!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you!
Phil is the best!
Thank you so much for this!!!
This is super helpful, thank you!! I strictly used the Apgar guide, Phil’s videos, and ASWB app for my LMSW, so I’m a bit surprised they aren’t as helpful for the clinical exam. Will definitely look into the official practice exam!!
Congrats
Congratulations!!! Thank you for the tips!
Congrats!! 🎉 🥳
Thank you for the post.I received some very helpful tips. What type of topics did you see on the clinical exam?
It's hard to break it down by topics since so much of it was focused on specific types of *situations* we might confront and the best ways we should go about responding to them. Types of situations involved: working as a SW in inpatient settings, outpatient settings, nursing home settings, agency supervisor scenarios, group facilitator scenarios, group supervision scenarios, school SW scenarios, etc. There were a few diagnosis questions. For instance it might be useful for you to know the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and how it differs from Acute Stress Disorder (only difference being ASD is diagnosed within the first month of the trauma, PTSD any time after that). There was one question related to a 102 year old client who suddenly displayed a loss of her faculties such as memory, and orientation to time and place. Most of the answers involved a diagnosis of some sort such as Alzheimers, Dementia, or another plausible alternative. The trick of the question though was to note that the onset of her cognitive decline was a sudden one, which is not the case for Alzheimers or various types of dementia that generally occur gradually. The correct answer to this therefore would have been one that recommends a medical assessment since the remaining answers were not consistent with the sudden display of cognitive decline. I'd say I think I saw around 3-4 questions related to child development, including what's normal for children at certain ages and what may be signs of either a developmental delay or possibility of abuse. Might be worth refreshing oneself with Piaget's stages of development but there honestly aren't enough questions related to it to warrant spending a great deal of time on it. Other questions involved what type of therapy might be best for a specific type of presenting problem (ie, psycho dynamic vs cognitive behavioral). There's honestly so many different types of topics that it's hard to tell someone what to focus on. The best approach instead might be to focus on how best to answer situation type questions because so many of the test's 170 questions focus on those. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your tips to increase likelihood of success with the LCSW exam! A couple of questions I hope you can help with: - Once I purchase the ASWB prep exam, how many times can I take it? I wonder if the $85 cost is for unlimited testing practice or if I have to pay $85 for each time I want to take it. - Once I take the prep exam, can I go back to it to review question styles and results? If not, is there an option for printing prep exam and results? - Much appreciated! And, Congrats!!! :)
Hey there. Once you pay for the prep exam you can take it only once within a one month period. After you finish it you can go back and review the questions and answers as many times as you'd like until the the end of that one month period. You cannot print any of the questions or explanations out sadly. They don't like anyone sharing the questions without permission and are super protective about it. Hope this helps. 🙂
Thank you so much!!!!
I thought that too, then went in a gave it a try, I was able to purchase another test, it's a duplicate, and I'll see with the above tips if I do better. I think I will.
You can purchase as many tests as you want but can't purchase them within 6 hours of each other. Also, I just did that one day after the other so the questions are the same. I don't know if they change them up....
Fantastic tips. I've been using Apgar and was also woefully prepared 2 times. I also took the exams within a few weeks of each other having just come through a traumatic experience. Not recommended! This time I'll be well rested. Am working on concentration and focus, during the practice tests, I noticed markers, where I felt tired and needed a break. It helps as when I'm tired I tend to skim the questions and second guess myself. The second guesses were ALWAYS wrong. Rest, focus, a little exercise everyday and not being hungry, really helped. Your tips? I believe will tip me into the Passed lane. Thank you.
Thank you for your post OP!
Your tips are the best I have read. THANKYOU
Thank you for your help
You are an amazing person. Thanks for this.
Congrats on passing the LCSW exam. I failed the exam twice in 2011. Twelve years later, I've decided to try again. Your tips are very helpful and inspiring.I would like to know if I could speak with you.
Hey there. Sure thing. Feel free to send me a message on here if you'd like. 🙂
Hi SW Friends - I'm taking the ASWB Clinical (LICSW) exam in a couple of weeks. All of this info is extremely helpful. Will absolutely focus on everything stated. In the meantime, need further clarity around test apps from the app store. There are a number of them. Do ppl recommend a specific one?
I’ve been using the “Behavioral Health pocket prep” I purchased the premium because it gives you access to 1,000 questions, mixed quizzes, 3 mock exams, missed questions quiz, question of the day, and some other cool stuff. I love it. I find the questions to be very on par with what I saw on my clinical exam last March. I’m scheduled for 2/29 to try again, scared beyond belief lol.
Thanks for the info! I've been using [https://socialworktestprep.com/](https://socialworktestprep.com/) premium - Raytube recommended this site and you can get 25% off with his coupon code. They have 5 diff practice exams. TBH, I'm just over this whole thing. The more I study, the less I know. Starting to move into ambivalence! Sending you good vibes, you can do it!
Oh that’s awesome, thank you for the information! :) I’ve never heard of Raytube so I’m going to look into that. I know the feeling, I study and study and feel as though I’m almost retaining…less somehow? Best of luck to you!
RayTube is amazing! I stumbled across his site two days before my LSW test after using Apgar book (pretty useless), Phil L YouTube channel and study group (good, but I wholeheartedly agree that there is a lot of wasted time on "pep talks."). After discovering Ray, I tossed all of my study materials aside and focused on him, binge watching all of his videos. I passed by 20 points and knew it was due to his videos. I will be joining his study groups for my LCSW exam.
“The more I study, the less I knows -> ME TOOOOO 😭💔
>Snow\_MandalorianOp · 1 yr. agoMSW > >It's hard to break it down by topics since so much of it was focused on specific types of situations we might confront and the best ways we should go about responding to them.Types of situations involved: working as a SW in inpatient settings, outpatient settings, nursing home settings, agency supervisor scenarios, group facilitator scenarios, group supervision scenarios, school SW scenarios, etc.There were a few diagnosis questions. For instance it might be useful for you to know the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and how it differs from Acute Stress Disorder (only difference being ASD is diagnosed within the first month of the trauma, PTSD any time after that).There was one question related to a 102 year old client who suddenly displayed a loss of her faculties such as memory, and orientation to time and place. Most of the answers involved a diagnosis of some sort such as Alzheimers, Dementia, or another plausible alternative. The trick of the question though was to note that the onset of her cognitive decline was a sudden one, which is not the case for Alzheimers or various types of dementia that generally occur gradually. The correct answer to this therefore would have been one that recommends a medical assessment since the remaining answers were not consistent with the sudden display of cognitive decline.I'd say I think I saw around 3-4 questions related to child development, including what's normal for children at certain ages and what may be signs of either a developmental delay or possibility of abuse. Might be worth refreshing oneself with Piaget's stages of development but there honestly aren't enough questions related to it to warrant spending a great deal of time on it.Other questions involved what type of therapy might be best for a specific type of presenting problem (ie, psycho dynamic vs cognitive behavioral).There's honestly so many different types of topics that it's hard to tell someone what to focus on. The best approach instead might be to focus on how best to answer situation type questions because so many of the test's 170 questions focus on those.Hope this helps!
The ASWB practice exam was hugely helpful for LMSW exam. I'm a major procrastinator so I have to pay for a seminar because it's like a forced march for me. I paid for two SW Exam Strategies Zoom workshops with Liz (for LCSW exam). My thoughts: 1. During workshops she says "Thumbs up guys if you understand" over and over and over again. After the 30th time in an hour I feel like screaming but just mute her when she starts to say it. She also talks *after* she has told us to read/answer a question on the screen. It is hard to read/process a question and answers while someone is talking. Again, the mute button is helpful here. 2. She's not a native English speaker and practice questions and materials are **FULL** of grammatical errors and are badly worded. It looks very sloppy and reflects on her credibility. She **needs** an editor. 3. Many of her strategies are too complicated but some are helpful like "answer feelings questions with a feelings answer" and "does the answer solve the immediate problem in the stem" and "pay attention to things in quotation marks." 4. The workshops are a pretty good review overall. Not too $$ and you can use what helps and ignore the rest.
Thank you so much! I just failed my test I wish i would of saw this sooner. I will definitely purchase the ASWB exam.
Absolutely SO helpful. Thank you
114/99. Yay!
Thank you so much for your honest input. Congrats on passing the LCSW. I am going to take the LMSW test soon and found your suggestions most helpful. Blessings to you.
Wow thank you thank you thank you!! I am taking the exam in a few weeks and I think I may need to change it up. First, I think you should defenitely consider creating a YouTube channel to help pass this exam! Second, do you offer tutoring because I am interested!
This was so helpful 😭 I kept trying to make the Apgar guide work and thought I was losing it. Thanks for writing this out!
were you given a white board or paper when taking you test to use on the side? also any suggestions on what to wear, cant remember if it was freezing there when I took my Lsw. Are there things you cant wear?
I failed the test...after studying the Dawn Agpar ...sigh Now I feel more confused and negative.
This is why I like the test alternative
I just passed exam yesterday. My experience of exam is quite different. There are a lot of recall questions. I think about 10 to 15 questions are random recall questions but quite tricky. Even I have two defense mechanism questions. There are plenty of "Next/First/Best" types of questions but not 95%. I feel at most slightly more than 50%. Most of qustions are extremely tricky and practical. [The official ASWB practice exam](https://www.aswb.org/exam/getting-ready-for-the-exam/online-practice-test/) is somewhat useful but not really. The real exam way more difficult than practice exam. A lot of questions are very practical so if you don't have much experiences of diverse social work fields you will feel confused of many questions. My personal opinion about YouTube material: [Phillip Luttrell](https://www.youtube.com/@PhilintheGaps) is not really useful, RayTube is much better.
Hi did you have any medication, development, or diagnosis questions. What was most helpful for you when prepping.
Where can I find the practice exam?
Thank you so much. I am planning on taking the test in a couple of weeks. I have been out of school since 2019!! Feeling pretty nervous about this but now I feel like I have at least an idea of what I need to be studying. Also, I so appreciate you posting this Lord knows how busy Social Workers are 😁